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DRIVERS escaping for the Easter Weekend were hit with delays after a gas tanker fire closed the M4 in both directions.

The lorry caught fire on the eastbound carriageway of the motorway between Junction 18 Bath to Junction 17 Chippenham.

The road was closed in both directions for an hour causing long delays for motorists on Good Friday.

Drivers were told to stay in their vehicles and avoid the area if possible after the BOC tanker carrying liquefied argon caught alight.

Six fire crews were called to the scene, as well as two specialist foam units.

Highways England said the lorry has no been cleared and two lanes have re-opened - but road camera operators warned normal conditions weren't expected until 7.30pm.

Stuart Matthews, group manager at Avon Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The fire was in the cab of the articulated unit which is carrying liquefied argon.

"The fire in the cab is out and the integrity of the tanker is intact and we'll monitor the situation."

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There are also delays of up to an hour-and-a-half on the M5 southbound at the junction with the M4 due to the  lorry fire.

Debris on the road also caused traffic on the M5 northbound.

A three car crash on the M62 westbound caused chaos for drivers between J20 and J19.

On the M25 - the busiest motorway in the UK - a stalled truck at Junction 1B also caused significant tailbacks and very slow moving queues.

There is also very slow moving traffic on the M40 Northbound thanks to an earlier stalled vehicle.

The traffic has been made worse by the number of people taking to the roads today - one of the busiest days in the year for motorway traffic.

More than two thirds of the UK's driving population are expected to take to Britain's roads over the four-day Easter weekend.

Tomorrow is predicted to be the busiest day, with research by Confused.com revealing half of bank holiday drivers have planned a trip.

Yesterday, motorways were brought to a virtual standstill in parts of the UK with traffic tailing back up to 17 miles as desperate families tried to get away for the Easter Bank Holidays.

Accidents on the M25 and M20 saw huge tailbacks on two of the country’s main roads – just hours after massive queues were forming at Heathrow Airport.

Tourism body Visit England said 6.6 million Britons are planning a trip involving an overnight stay over the weekend, up from six million last year.

Easter Sunday is expected to be the quietest day on the roads with 25 per cent fewer vehicles than an average Sunday.

RAC Easter travel warning

Motorists have been warned Easter traffic will reach extreme levels on Sunday when there will be nearly 3.75 million cars on the road as families visit loved or returns from short breaks.

That's according to the RAC which has found people are planning a total of 12.8m leisure car journeys across the four-day Easter Bank Holiday - 14.3m including Maundy Thursday travellers.

RAC Traffic Watch spokesman Rod Dennis said: “The Easter getaway is the first big holiday break of the year for many people and 2017 promises to be no exception. While many schools across the country have already broken up, we’re expecting millions of working families to make the most of the long weekend and jump in the car for a leisure trip.

“Easter Sunday is set to be the busiest with 3.74m using their cars – either to travel to visit friends and loved ones, or to return home – so drivers should expect some queues on the most popular routes.

“More than three million leisure trips will take place on Easter Monday, perhaps as more people head back home for the start of the working week – although with school holidays continuing in some parts of the country the roads remain busy with a total of 9m leisure trips planned during the following week from Tuesday 18 through to Sunday 23 April 23."

The RAC is also urging drivers to check their oil and coolant levels and washer fluids before embarking on the long journey.

“Easter is a busy time for our breakdown patrols, so we are urging drivers travelling any great distance to make sure their car is up to the job before they set out," said Rob Dennis from the RAC.

RAC Easter traffic hotspots

• M5 from Bristol to Taunton
• A303 Stonehenge
• A30 and A38 Exeter to Cornwall
• M4 between Cardiff and Swansea
• M25 between Gatwick and M1
• A23/M23 to Brighton
• A47 Swaffham to Great Yarmouth
• M55 between Preston and Blackpool
• A14 between Midlands and East Coast
• A66 between M6 and the coast
• M53 between Liverpool and Chester
• A55 North Wales Expressway, Chester to Bangor

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